Scott Baker ’77 (above), a 2011 Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation, began his research focus during his undergraduate studies at New College when he participated in a pioneering dolphin study in Sarasota Bay. Baker is associate director of the Marine Mammal Institute and professor of fisheries and wildlife at Oregon State University. Baker participated as the lead DNA scientist for the 2009 Oscar-winning documentary, The Cove, an “eco-thriller” about the international dolphin capture trade in Taiji, Japan. Baker received his doctorate in zoology from the University of Hawaii, Manoa, and did his postdoctoral training at the Smithsonian Institution and National Cancer Institute. His Pew Fellowship provided funding for a large-scale study on the genetic diversity and relatedness of dolphin populations in the western Pacific. He wrote his New College thesis on "Tidal Creeks of Southwest Florida: An Environmental and Aesthetic Assessment."

New College is proud of the many Environmental Studies graduates who have contributed to the field. Here's a sampling of some of our graduates:

• Kelly Samek is senior assistant general counsel at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

• Josh Tickell is an award-winning filmmaker of FUEL (Sundance Audience Award for Best Documentary) and The Big Fix (Cannes Official Selection; executive producers include Tim Robbins and Peter Fonda). Three years after graduating from New College, he published From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank, a book about running diesel engines on vegetable oil. His New College thesis was titled, "A Drive Toward Sustainable Living: Renewable Energy Alternatives to Current Lifestyle and Transportation Patterns." He has consulted for companies such as Green Mountain Energy Resources, Yum Brands, Audi and General Motors, and he has appeared on Jay Leno's The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, CNN, Discovery and NPR. He also hosts a weekly radio show called Tickell Talks.

• Jesse White is owner/founder, Sarasota Architectural Salvage, a business that sells an eclectic mix of architectural antiques and furniture, décor, garden art and building materials recovered from homes and buildings slated for remodeling or demolition. “I became an environmentalist at New College, and this identity has driven my life choices since then," he says. "My business today is solidly rooted in my desire to champion environmental conservation.”

• Aidan Bailey is working toward a master’s degree in zoology at Miami University.

• Oliver Peckham is pursuing a master’s degree in climate science and policy at the Bard Center for Environmental Policy.

• Michael Cowgill is attending law school at Lewis and Clark.

• Michael Dexter-Luffberry received an ORISE fellowship from the Environmental Protection Agency and earned his master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University.

• Jessica Plante works as a volunteer management assistant for Atlanta Habitat for Humanity.

• Daniela DeMaria earned a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of West Florida.

• Scott Ross is a senior video producer for Urban Outfitters.

• Jacob Starks earned his master’s degree in library and information science from the University of South Florida.

• Tamara Schiff is a public interest fellow with the Sierra Club.

• Danielle Smith is the harvest manager at The Kitchen Garden.

• Timothy Caughlin earned a Fulbright Scholarship to Thailand and also received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Assistantship. He is currently working toward his Ph.D. at the University of Florida.

• Amanda Croteau received her Ph.D. in Fisheries and Aquatic Services from the University of Florida.

• Meredith Morrow is a public health analyst for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Aubrey Phillips is pursuing her master’s degree in Public Administration at the University of Colorado, Denver.

• Sallie Scribner is pursuing a master’s degree in finance at Harvard.

• Fabiana Silva is the office manager for the Center for Individualized Medicine and Age Management.

• Amara Cocilovo is a curator at the Florida Maritime Museum.

• Maya Burke is a senior real estate specialist for the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

• Lara Drizd is an endangered species biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

• Amber Roux is an environmental supervisor for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Sample of Graduate and Law Schools Attended by NCF Students in Environmental Studies

• MIT • Yale University • Columbia University • Stanford University • University of California, Berkeley • New York Law School • Duke University • University of Pennsylvania • Georgetown University of Law at Indiana • University of Florida • University of Wisconsin • Ohio State University • University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill • American University • Antioch University • Bard College • Colorado State University • Florida Institute of Technology • Florida State University • FSU Film School • John F. Kennedy University • Lesley College • Lewis and Clark Law School • Louisiana State University • New Mexico State University • New York University • North Texas University • Oregon State University • Pacific Christian College • Portland State University • Tulane University • University of California, Los Angeles • University of Colorado • University of Hawaii • University of Maryland • University of Miami • University of Montana • University of Oregon • University of South Florida • University of Southern California • University of Toledo • University of Virginia • University of Washington • Vermont Law School